Bridgeport officials warn Montgomery County borough could lose its only district court
Pennsylvania court officials say no decision has been made.
Bridgeport is at risk of losing its sole district court, the Montgomery County borough announced last week.
The proposal comes as the court’s district justice, James P. Gallagher, prepares to retire at the end of the year, the borough said in a letter on its website.
“The current plan involves folding all of Bridgeport’s cases and workload into the courthouse in King of Prussia,” the borough said. The closure would not become final until after a period of review and public comment, according to the letter.
Despite the certainty with which Bridgeport announced the proposal, a Pennsylvania court spokesperson said Thursday that a decision had yet to be made about the district court’s future.
“Courts continually review court operations, including magisterial district court offices, to assess caseload and operational needs,” said Stacey Witalec, the court spokesperson.
Witalec said any such plan would come with a public comment period for residents to voice their opinions to court administrators.
The court, at Fourth and Mill Streets, handles cases for residents in Bridgeport and part of Upper Merion Township, as well as cases involving Pennsylvania Turnpike travelers on a stretch of I-276 in Montgomery County.
Bridgeport Borough officials argue the proposed closure would impose a “negative impact” on community members.
“Bridgeport residents would lose the convenient access to a local judge and courthouse, should the closure take place,” officials said in a letter, which is not attributed to any one borough employee. “Our local cases would now go before a district justice with limited familiarity of the borough and its people, rather than a local judge who has historically had roots within the Bridgeport community.”
Court closures are limited to the year after U.S. Census Bureau data are collected unless the county petitions for a closure based on “extraordinary circumstances,” according to the letter.
Todd Bereda, chief of the Bridgeport police, said he is a staunch supporter of keeping the district court in the community.
“One of the last things we need to lose is the elected magisterial judgeship,” Bereda said. “What that would do is separate the people of Bridgeport from a possible elected position in the local district court, one that has serviced us for at least 30 years.”
Bereda said that the district’s population grew between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, and that hundreds of new apartment units either have been built or are under construction in the area. The number of police calls his department received was up in the last several years, the chief added.
“We’re growing, and we would be underserved,” Bereda said.
State Rep. Tim Briggs, a Democrat who represents Bridgeport, said in an interview that he intends to petition President Judge Carolyn Carluccio of Montgomery County Court to halt such a proposal.
Carluccio’s office declined to comment, referring questions to state court administration.
“While our community continues to grow — evaluating a court system is more than simply looking at numbers,” Briggs said. “It is about justice and problem solving and often the opportunity to implement specific solutions for the individual communities they serve.”
Residents, too, are making their opinions heard — even as court officials have not announced a closure plan.
A Change.org petition titled “Oppose the Closing of Bridgeport District Courthouse MDC 38-1-25″ had garnered more than 330 signatures as of last week, calling the possibility of a closure a “severe blow to the community.”
The petition cites longer travel times and increased transportation costs should cases be moved to a neighboring court, particularly for “those with limited means, elderly citizens, and individuals with demanding work schedules.” A little more than 16% of Bridgeport residents live in poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
It also suggests legal proceedings for a variety of case types could be slowed, from landlord-tenant and small claims disputes to minor criminal offenses.
“Keeping this courthouse open is necessary for preserving our right to access justice within our community,” the petition says.
Bridgeport Borough is urging those concerned about a possible closure to reach out to Montgomery County court officials like Carluccio, as well as the court administrators.